I was recently asked by a friend what I did. After giving her an elevator speech-style description of our company's work with social media and strategy behind making brands the most talked about and recommended in their category, I was shocked by her response. She looked at me and very simply stated,

"That's great, I'm glad you like it. Now someday, you're going to have to explain what you mean when you say social media."

At that moment, amid the noise surrounding me as I walked down the street of one of the country's largest cities, I realized that I lived in a bubble. My work brings me front and center with a world guided by platforms like Facebook and Twitter, or technologies like augmented reality and geo-tagging. Brands are eager to be the most innovative and always, the most successful among their competitors. And so, as an agency, we must deliver. Although a strategic marketing plan guides our efforts, very often, the tactics used to execute involve some variant of social media--used as a way to reach consumers and inspire recommendations of and for the brand, sustainably, over time.

To me, using these tactics seems obvious in today's age of social networking and online sharing. All I could think was, how can any well-informed person not know what social media is, or what you can do with it?

The bubble had engulfed me and I was no longer looking at our consumerist society from the eyes of those we hope to target. Being able to experience a product in 3D via black squiggles of a jagtag may be cool, but do people really care? What's the point of having location-based services for finding the closest subway stop or restaurant if reliable and consistent cell-phone service has yet to exist? Is broadcasting on Foursquare exactly when and where someone is always a good idea?

As marketers we are responsible for creating effective programs that attract the attention of consumers. We must also remember that we have a biased view of the online landscape. Not everyone knows what we're talking about.

Despite the flurry of business, make sure to take a step back. At some point in your life, you weren't as plugged in as you are now. Even if you can't do without your Blackberry used during work, your iPhone used after work, the 10 online channels where you share with the world hourly status updates, or the multi-platform-HD-1000-channel entertainment system that can even sleep and eat for you, there are people who can. Those are the people we need to remember. Just like my friend -- well informed, smart, interesting -- they are just as eager to talk about and share their experiences with a brand.

So, I'm curious, what are other creative ways marketers are engaging consumers that perhaps use social media, but go beyond technology to successfully engage?




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As social media continues to evolve and align itself with many of today's marketing strategies, ethical disclosure along online channels becomes imperative to successful programming.  Since the FTC's updated Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising took effect last December, the industry has continued to struggle for ways of understanding and practicing the new requirements around transparent disclosure.

The Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA)--having worked closely with the FTC--has answered the call. If you haven't seen this week's release of their "Social Media Marketing Disclosrue Guide," then you're in for a treat. Designed to be incredibly hands-on and helpful, the simple two-page guide provides an overview and examples on how to disclose along a variety of social media platforms.

Hopefully, you find them to be a great resource. In my new role as President of WOMMA, please join me in a discussion around this topic in a webinar held on March 1, 11Am-12PM CST. To register, or learn more, visit www.womma.org.

 

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Don't be fooled by the Kindle.  Amazon is not a gadget maker.  Amazon has never been a gadget maker.  Amazon made its name as a low-overhead internet retailer that could ship you the stuff you want, when you want it, with relatively little hassle.  Only problem, is that the "stuff" Amazon once became so famous for shipping, no longer needs to be shipped. 

Just ten years ago, Amazon ousted local bookstore owners to the same classified newspaper sections that EZ-Pass-ousted toll-booth workers were already perusing.  The brand now finds itself grasping to retain its leadership role in enabling Americans to read.  At the end of the day, Amazon is more than happy to be a mere "App" on a Smartphone desktop, as long as users can buy books through that desktop. 

As Blackberry moves to capture this shift, be sure to keep a lookout for promotions advertising Kindle for iPhone.  And Kindle for iPad.  You can bet they'll be coming soon.

The Kindle, in hindsight, will likely be viewed as never having actually posed a serious threat to Blackberrys, iPhones, Droids and other leading one-stop-shop mobile devices.  Unlike a "TiVo," Amazon was not seriously seeking nor expecting to create and maintain ownership of a new category.  Instead, one might infer that the long-term strategy behind launching the Kindle was simply to enjoy first-to-market status, while leveraging this status to eventually establish an Amazonian window through which consumers would ultimately purchase. 

The bigger question remains, on whose desktop will the Kindle ultimately sit?  Microsoft's?  Google's?  Apple's?  When that answer is determined, Amazon prays you'll be reading about it (and paying to read about it) through their window.

 

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For all the massive hype Google Wave stirred up a couple months back, Google Buzz could ultimately become the unassuming, unexpected and unlikely Facebook/Twitter killer.  Why? 

Google Buzz gains unprecedented benefit from the old maxim: "Location, Location, Location."  Centrally positioned and easily accessible within the GMail interface, Google Buzz is immediately at the fingertips of millions and millions of people who already spend a great deal of their days, interacting with their friends, families and colleagues through the GMail platform.  And its timeliness could not be better.  As Facebook celebrates milestone birthdays and Twitter mourns vacant @ccounts, the way people converse, talk, recommend and share "stuff" has continued to evolve by the minute. 

Increasingly, the questions are no longer:
- Will people share?
- What will people share?
- Who will they share it with?
- How frequently will they be willing to share?

The real question is becoming:
- What will be the primary, central platform through which people share?

Or, simply stated:
- What will be the single interface through which I communicate to my world?

From the Daily Jolt, to Friendster, to MySpace to Facebook to Twitter to FourSquare, many emerging platforms have vied to complement or even replace the communication platform which preceded it.  All the while, each platform silently fearing that in their pursuit to become the next DVD, they'd become the next Laserdisc*. 

Platforms such as TweetDeck and FriendFeed have attempted to capitalize upon our "social sharing" by attempting to corral all communications into a central hub.  However, no matter how rapid the rise of "social" interaction, and the success of these relevant yet ancillary platforms -- email remains a vehemently central platform through which we "collect" and "contribute" to dialogues, projects and initiatives that fuel our professional and private lives.  And while the Wall Street Journal is correct to recognize that the "Email Era" may soon indeed be over, no central hub has yet emerged as the platform to ultimately replace email.   

In that context, no Brand is better positioned than Google to ultimately lead that migration.  Google Buzz, bolstered by its unfair real estate and complemented by the functionality and cloud computing capabilities of Google Docs, empowers and positions Google as the Brand most likely to become our one-stop partner, resource and vehicle through which we engage and interact with our worlds.
 

*Aka, the same fear exhibited by bands seeking to become the next Radiohead, but who end up becoming the next Coldplay.

 

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Ahh..  the Super Bowl - the night when we all eat too many carbs, too much taco dip and either watch the game with genuine interest or simply state," I'm watching it for the commercials." 

It's also the night when marketers sit with bated breath to see how months of hard work will be received by the public at large. We review, critique and measure the reaction of those expensive 30-second spots.

I'm not here to argue the creativity of any one commercial, or the brands and agencies that produced them. Some were great; others... not so much. Personal opinions are just that - personal. AdFreak has some interesting ideas on 15 things you can purchase instead of a Super Bowl commercial for $2.6 million (4 games with Favre as QB? Really?).  And here's an oft-debated question: is the Super Bowl spot worth it to the people not playing in it?

As word of mouth marketing grows and with 92% of folks trusting their friends and family for recommendations over anything else, the core question to ask yourself before putting your 30-seconds out there is: would anyone recommend my brand after seeing this?  Sure, I laughed at the sight of Betty White being tackled to the ground, but it doesn't make me want to go out and buy a Snickers.

 

 

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What do you think of when you hear "trade shows?"

• A free business trip to a usually nice city?
• Sore feet from walking around a large building multiple days in a row?
• An overwhelming sea of new products, business pitches and opportunities?
• An open door into the activities of competitors?
  

The exhibitions allow businesses in a specific industry to congregate, share and promote new products/services to retailers, media and potential partners. More than 2,500+ trade shows across the United States allow for face-to-face interaction with key people associated with your business, but getting their attention before, during and after the experience is competitive.

With social media becoming a larger part of marketing strategy, it provides a unique asset for ensuring a successful trade show experience. If you want your business to attract the right buyers or media attention to your trade show booth, incorporating social media tactics into engagement allows you to easily and in real-time, connect with those people in the online world. They'll be eager to see what's going on and share news related to your business and other trade show activities, even though they couldn't be there in person to check it out.

Today, even trade shows themselves are using social media, with Twitter the second-highest driver of participation at BlogWorld. To get started, here are some tips that can help:

Before a show -

Target attendees. Twitter is a great way to identify people attending a trade
show through hashtags (#) and searchable conversations. Start following them and have a dialogue about what your company will be doing. Send out event invites and tease images or information. You can also easily see if there are people who want to attend, but can't. Consider sponsoring a relevant blogger so they can check out the experience (with full disclosure).

During a show -

Share your day's activities. Every participant can't and won't visit your booth every day, so choose what and when you want to promote. Do giveaways at certain times throughout the day, or feature special promotions. For example, encourage people to visit by offering an incentive - like X dollars off an order, or a gift certificate to a restaurant while in town - to the first ten people that repport to your booth after seeing a tweet. Post photos of the event with attendees and share updates to Twitter or Facebook.

After a show -

Touch base again on Facebook or Twitter. Ask what your new followers or fans enjoyed about your booth/announcements and what they'd like to see next year. Keep them informed throughout the year with interesting news. Re-tweet articles they post, or share them on Facebook. The key post-show is to keep engagement consistent and relevant. In other words, don't forget about the people who showed interest.

What are your tactics for getting attention at a trade show and how could you use social media to enhance visibility and ROI of the experience? Follow me on Twitter (@Jessicah07) and share your recommendations!

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Last Friday, I had the pleasure of leading a brainstorm and learning session here at Zócalo about geotagging and location-based services. I figured as the current "mayor" of the agency on Foursquare, it was at least my mayoral duty!

Location-based services are mobile applications, utilities or games that use positioning technology to provide functions based on a user's geographical location. This can mean a variety of things to different users... from automatically detecting your bank's nearest ATM, to tracking the whereabouts of your friends as they bar-hop through the weekend.

These applications allow people to find services on the go, to broadcast their own location to their friends (or to the world... why not?), and to keep a record of where they've gone and when - like keeping a blog, but with latitude and longitude coordinates.

So what can businesses do with location-based services? Foursquare has some suggestions of their own, but, tools aside, here is how we break down the business benefits conceptually:

1. Become easier to find
Optimize location-based search to make sure people nearby know your business is around. Provide "anywhere" access to customer service by making your stores, branches and representatives dynamically visible on a map.

2. Target the right consumers
Analyze traffic and presence trends in order to plan your store openings and market expansion strategy. Watch where your brand advocates go in order to choose promotional event partners.

3. Engage with consumers
Create real-time promotional offers and loyalty incentives. Issue mobile calls-to-action, and obtain instant feedback/insights.

Want to read more? Check out these 7 ways marketers can use Foursquare, courtesy of MarketingProfs. Any other ideas?




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